Meeting Description: Ecological Science at the Frontier: Celebrating ESA’s CentennialThe Ecological Society of America currently stands at a boundary between 100 successful years for the Society and an uncharted future for the planet. The Centennial meeting will support both retrospective and prospective sessions – looking back at the history of the field of ecology as well as forward into its future. We welcome proposals examining historical topics and the history of ecology, as well as proposals from early career scientists and students that shine a light on the future of ecological science. Proposals that explore interdisciplinary connections with areas of social and natural science outside of ecology or that relate to ecological education at any level are also encouraged.

What is interdisciplinary research? What challenges do interdisciplinary researchers confront now? What are the prospects of interdisciplinary research for the coming century?

Interdisciplinary research is one of the most commonly used catchphrases in the field of ecology and broader science in general. This term has been used (and misused) so much that its definition has become very ambiguous and context-dependent. Ecologists generally embrace the importance of interdisciplinary work, but their vision and application varies drastically. The goal of this workshop is to address the current state of interdisciplinary research in ecology, including major benefits and challenges facing researchers, and the future outlook of the field regarding interdisciplinary work. By understanding the challenges that interdisciplinary researchers confront, we hope to better foster interdisciplinary research and scholarship in the academy. We will present an open-discussion workshop emphasizing interdisciplinary ecology from the perspectives of scientists at diverse career stages, culminating in a peer-reviewed publication addressing many of the ideas presented over the course of the workshop. Be prepared to do writing/research prior to and during workshop.

If you are currently engaged in interdisciplinary research, planning to delve further into such work, or generally interested in the future of ecological research, we invite you to join us on Saturday, August 8 for a large working-group discussion on these and related topics. ESA general registration is now open, and we encourage you to consider registering for our workshop to have your voice heard! If you have questions, please contact Dennis Tarasi (tarasi@live.unc.edu). We hope you can join us!

Join us at ESA 2015 to kick off an online network that will be focused on
testing hands-on, data-driven modules in the undergraduate classroom.
Funding is available to support participants’ attendance at ESA.

Dates & Location: Sunday, August 9 from 9AM-4:30PM at the Ecological
Society of America Annual Meeting in Baltimore, Maryland.

Description: DryadLab is seeking faculty to field test classroom modules
during the Fall of 2015. DryadLab is an educational extension of the Dryad
Digital Repository, which contains freely available research data from
thousands of published scientific papers. DryadLab provides open,
high-quality, hands-on, data-driven educational modules suitable for use in
undergraduate classrooms, developed by the authors of the original
publications in collaboration with experienced educators.

DryadLab is joining forces with the Quantitative Undergraduate Biology
Education Synthesis (QUBES) project to provide support for field testers
via an online network that will facilitate the sharing of resources and
expertise. The network will run from 20 July 2015 to 20 November 2015 and
will be hosted online at https://qubeshub.org/.

Prior to the ESA kick-off meeting, participants will have the opportunity
to review materials for four DryadLab modules:
1. Introduction to Extinction and Extinction Bias
2. Survivorship in the Natural World
3. A Walk Through the Woods: Data Analysis of Structural Adaptations in Wood
4. The Beetle Affair

During the one-day kick-off, participants will develop a plan for
integrating the DryadLab modules into their existing course curriculum.
After the in-person meeting, network participants will continue to interact
online to refine the modules for their classroom, discuss various
implementation challenges, and define strategies to overcome these
challenges. Participants will implement these modules in their classroom
during the fall and share their experiences with each other.

This mentoring network is most relevant for faculty with an interest in
learning how to use real data in the classroom. A total of 14 participants
will be selected. To qualify, participants must be willing to incorporate
at least 2 modules into their course this fall. Participants must also be
able to commit ~1 hour per week to online discussions. Additional time
outside of these discussions will also be required for independent work on
adapting and reviewing modules. DryadLab is able to provide the following
support to participants for the one-day meeting at ESA: Regular ESA member
early bird registration, 2 nights hotel, flight costs under $500, and lunch
on Sunday.

Live online Q&A sessions will be held on May 19th, 10-11AM EST, and May 20,
1-2PM EST, at https://qubeshub.org...network/q_and_a.
Questions can also be directed via email to Samantha Swauger, the DryadLab
project manager, at samswauger@gmail.com.